Do you ever feel like you’re wandering without direction? Maybe you’re lost in your journey, lost in knowing what you want, or lost on how to take the next step—yet still moving forward, hoping clarity will come with time.
I was there! I was oh so very lost in my life and in what I wanted and where I saw myself going. I had no clue. People my age were progressing in their careers, earning good money, buying homes, settling down, and I just wasn’t even close to that.
Following a series of difficult experiences, in 2011, I took a huge leap and decided to move from the UK to Canada. I had just finished university and didn’t have many opportunities in front of me or much support or guidance, so I bit the bullet to start a life on my own.
These difficulties I had experienced had given me a whole new perspective on life. It showed me how fragile life was and that you have to enjoy and live every moment to its best. I didn’t want to settle and be stuck in a position that makes me miserable. I wanted a fun and exciting life! I wanted to have a career that fulfilled me!
People would tell me, “Oh, it’s just the way it is. Oh, people don’t love their work. You care too much—you just have to do things you hate,” and while I agreed that there will be times you have to do things you don’t always like, I didn’t want to dislike my job, given we usually have to work MOST of our lives! I didn’t want to settle just because that was the “norm.”
I had done a university degree, worked in retail and administration, completed an event management certification, and worked as a wedding planner. I had done a woodworking apprenticeship program and worked on building homes, and finally I did career counseling, which is where the real journey began. It opened doors and opportunities where eventually I came across the Milan Art Institute!
Never giving up finally led me to something that I love to do every day, which is a career in art!
While my journey has taken much longer than most, that doesn’t matter… This is my journey. Your journey should be unique to you! I have only really just found my path in the last few years, and I am 35. It's okay for it to take time, and it's okay to step out from the crowd and not do what everyone else is doing.
You don’t have to settle in life because that’s what everyone else says! There is hope, and there is something better if you want it! The drive that was in me to live a life that I felt we all deserved was so deep, and I really believe that everyone can shoot for their goals and live a fun, exciting, fulfilled life. If you want to be a full-time artist, you absolutely can be!